Ready to race: Confirmation of Cup schedule

Sailing showdown timetable locked in after Covid alert level announcement by PM

The America’s Cup match will begin on Wednesday, with Auckland set to move out of Covid-19 alert level 3. The match was scheduled to start this weekend, however with Auckland moved into level 3 last Sunday, the decision was made to postpone until Wednesday in the hope of sailing under a lower level.

Yesterday afternoon, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed Auckland would move back to level 2 at 6am tomorrow, which would allow for racing to get under way as planned on Wednesday.

There are two races scheduled for Wednesday, Friday and through the weekend to Monday at least, with Sunday being the earliest date for one team to secure the seven wins needed for victory. Thursday is the only scheduled rest day, and if a winner isn’t found by Monday, racing will continue every day until one team reaches the seven-win mark.

Any changes to the schedule will need to be agreed between both teams.

Cabinet won’t meet to review a potential move of Auckland to level 1 until next weekend, so the same limitations will be in place for the start of the Cup match as they were for the second half of the Prada Cup final, with attractions at the Cup village such as entertainment and watching the racing on big screens closed, and with official fanzones at key vantage points not fully activated.

Bars, cafes, restaurants and other retail outlets within the America’s Cup village will be open, operating within Ministry of Health guidelines.

Stadium courses B and C were not considered for use to deter fans from gathering in larger numbers on North Head to watch the action. Only courses A and E will be available under alert level 2.

With the starting line now in sight, the next few days will be vital for Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa as they prepare for the match. With tsunami warnings in Auckland yesterday, many thought the crews would lose a day on the water.

However, with those warnings being rescinded late in the afternoon, Team New Zealand reportedly set out for some practice on the water late in the day.